Advent—Peace—Day 11

I’m like Goldilocks. I like to feel “just right,” in all things.

Enter as proof of my tendencies my bathroom heater and fan, sitting side by side.

It’s the heater’s time to shine right now, and with the cold weather, I find more excuses than the usual to visit the bathroom and sit in front of its warm, gentle air. It’s one of my favorite places to write, with an upside-down laundry basket for a desk.

Except when I was burning up after a workout session, and then it was the fan’s turn to cool me off quickly. Cool shower + cool fan = blessed comfort, even when it’s below freezing outside.

I haven’t run them at the same time yet, but when the mood hits, I’ll be ready.

I’ve tested this theory in the car, when I can relax in the comfort of my heated seats yet feel the cool blast of the A/C. As a woman held safely within the snug and cozy arms of perimenopause, I have every right to run my heater or fan while simultaneously using a heating pad or an ice pack. I can cuddle with Sweet Husband and still throw one leg (or two) outside the sheets, depending on how much I’m steaming away.

We fickle humans have such shifting comfort needs, especially related to the temperature. We complain if the thermometer moves one jot or tittle above or below that which brings personal ease. We learn to layer our clothing for work and appointments, or even better, Christmas visits to Grandma’s house–where it’s always a stifling 82 degrees.

Our minds can be just as inconstant, as we are so easily distracted from the only One who can bring peace, comfort, and ease to our worries and turmoil.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

Isaiah 26:3 NLT

When you set the thermostat of your mind to focus on Jesus, you can trust that He will keep you “just right” during those “hot flash” moments of anger or times when life gives you that “ice-cold” shoulder. He knows what it is to live in a flesh-and-bone world where moods shift, evil tempts, and peace shrinks. 

Our environments and circumstances will test and try us, but with Jesus, we can be assured, through His steady, comforting presence, that we can always have peace. 

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Reflection and Prayer: What are some spiritual practices that help keep your mind focused on Jesus? One of my favorites is listening to praise music or instrumental tunes. Saturate your mind with Scripture, times of prayer, sacred music, and time with Christian friends. Ask Jesus–the one who knows what it is to walk in our shoes–to keep you steadied in His peace each day.